1.  His controversial wild-card pick of Curtis Strange backfired when Strange lost a pivotal match with Faldo by bogeying the final three holes.

2.  The Palmer-Reneberg team won a pivotal match in the U.S. win in February against France.

3.  Parma, meanwhile, faces a pivotal match at Fiorentina as the season nears the halfway point.

4.  A big score did look a distinct possibility as Andrew Hudson took early control of the pivotal match in a series which has still to produce a result.

5.  The pivotal match was the first of the Games between two full squads of National Hockey League players.